Using Mandela Day to make a long-standing change
"Let us plant food for those who need it. This vegetable garden is not only for the homeless, but also for people who have homes."
Sylvia Street in Akasia rang with songs of unity as more than 200 people cleaned up an illegal dumping site to turn it into a vegetable garden for the local community on Mandela Day this week.
“The cost of living is too high,” said Life-Changing Projects homeless shelter chairperson Tebogo Sehlwane.
“Let us plant food for those who need it. This vegetable garden is not only for the homeless, but also for people who have homes.
“We cannot afford to buy a bag of potatoes for R100 but if we can work together, we can share the produce of the land.”
Sehlwane encouraged residents to take hands with the organisation as they plan to eradicate poverty by planting vegetables.
Celebrating the legacy of Nelson Mandela, while making a long-lasting change in the community was the theme of the day for the Life-Changing Projects homeless shelter.
The dumpsite was right across the organisation. It began life as a small patch but since mushroomed.
Staff members, beneficiaries, management as well as board members of the organisation, were joined by various stakeholders.
Together, they cleaned over two hectares of land and collected 155 bags of rubbish.
“As homeless people, we used to sleep in the bushes and streets. Now we can give back to the land and celebrate a giant at the same time,” said Tebogo Mpufane, a project manager for the organisation.
He emphasised that growing a vegetable garden on the land was not a land grab as it had been discussed with the authorities before anything was done.
“It will benefit the community and it also serves as a form of rehabilitation as well as skills development for the people involved. Once they are back on their feet, they can use the skills they have acquired.”
Life-Changing Projects is a homeless shelter that can house 200 men.
They work closely with social workers and various stakeholders to ensure that beneficiaries can be reintegrated into society with skills that would equip them to stay off the streets.
To donate garden equipment and seeds for the gardening project, contact Tebogo Sehlwane on 082 364 4215.
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